Written Answers Wednesday 20 January 2010

Scottish Executive

Cancer

Jackson Carlaw (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the reason is for the time delay since the last publication of an evaluation of performance against clinical standards for cancer.

Nicola Sturgeon: In 2008, NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (NHS QIS) published the revised and updated cancer standards which were first developed in 2001 and reported on findings in 2002. In line with other reviews of services against standards, NHS QIS allows a period of time before embarking on any assessment. This allows NHS boards the opportunity to introduce the new standards and identify potential areas for improvement in their services as well as start to gather the information on how it is performing against the new standards. This is critical information that has to be submitted to NHS QIS prior to any subsequent review.

  The interval between the publication of cancer standards and any subsequent review allows, at both a national and local board level, the amendment of any existing cancer audit data sets (which allow the service to be assessed against the quantitative aspect of the standards). Once any amendment to these data sets have been made, relevant data has to then be collected to enable the service and NHS QIS an opportunity to gain an understanding of current performance against the standards.

Cancer

Jackson Carlaw (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason the auditing of cancer standards is performed by those engaged in the clinical practice and not by an independent auditor.

Nicola Sturgeon: Clinical audit is undertaken by designated audit staff within each managed clinical network. These staff have knowledge of local issues and good links with the relevant clinical leads. It has been demonstrated that the best way to improve clinical standards and care of patients is for the outcomes of the audit process to be reviewed by the clinicians delivering the care, as they are best placed to provide advice and guidance on any changes in practise that may be required. This process is undertaken within the NHS boards’ local clinical governance framework.

  Clinical audit data is also used for regional and national purposes and where they exist for UK-wide audits. This allows comparisons across and between regions, across NHS Scotland and in some cases, for example, the LUCADA dataset for lung cancer, the UK.

Cancer

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish an annual progress report on the implementation of Better Cancer Care, An Action Plan.

Nicola Sturgeon: There are currently no plans to publish a specific annual report on the implementation of Better Cancer Care: An Action Plan . The NHSScotland Chief Executive’s Annual Report, last published on 4 December 2009, sets out the key areas of progress on implementing the national programmes of work across NHSScotland, including Better Cancer Care .

  A detailed work plan has been developed by the Scottish Cancer Taskforce to monitor implementation of the commitments set out in Better Cancer Care. The four sub groups, including Chemotherapy Advisory Group, Scottish Radiotherapy Advisory Group, Living with Cancer Group and National Cancer Quality Steering Group, have drawn up individual work plans to take forward specific elements of this workplan.

  Significant progress has already been made in the areas of prevention, screening, early detection of cancer, referral and diagnosis, treatment, living with cancer, improving the quality of cancer care and delivery.

  Updates on the work of the Scottish Cancer Taskforce and its constituent sub groups is published on a regular basis on the Scottish Government website, available at:

  www.scotland.gov.uk/bettercancercare.

Cancer

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) one and (b) five-year survival rates have been for (i) lung, (ii) breast, (iii) prostate, (iii) haematological and (iv) bowel cancer in (A) each Scottish Parliament constituency, (B) each Scottish Parliament region and (C) Scotland overall in each year since devolution.

Nicola Sturgeon: Information on survival rates by Scottish Parliament constituency and Scottish Parliament region is not held centrally.

  Estimates of cancer survival for Scotland, including time periods from 1999, are available on the ISD Cancer Information website at:

  (i) lung -http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/1451.html.

  (ii) breast (female) - http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/1420.html.

  (iii) prostate - http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/1488.html.

  (iii [sic]) haematological - http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/1538.html.

  (iv) bowel - http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/1425.html.

Class Sizes

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on placing siblings in separate schools in order to achieve class size targets.

Michael Russell: The placing of children in schools is a matter for individual local authorities subject where possible to parental wishes.

Constitution

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason its document, Supporting Business and Enterprise - Taking forward our National Conversation, contains no discussion of what currency is envisaged under the independence option.

Bruce Crawford: The currency options which would be available to Scotland under independence are discussed in the National Conversation paper Fiscal Autonomy in Scotland: The case for change and option for reform and in the National Conversation White Paper Your Scotland Your Voice .

Education

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its explanation is for the removal of the active travel overarching statement "I know and can demonstrate how to travel safely whether on foot, on a bicycle, in a motor vehicle or on public transport" and the outcome "I am encouraged and supported to travel actively and safely to and from my place of learning", which were in the draft but not in the final published version of the Curriculum for Excellence, without any records being kept of the reasons and how this relates to the consultation process.

Michael Russell: I refer the member to the answers to questions S3W-27966 and S3W-27967 on 26 October 2009.

  In addition, the member will wish to be aware that, due to concerns about the size and complexity of the curriculum as a whole, the Curriculum Governing Group asked experienced and senior writers to review the draft experiences and outcomes. During this process, which was led by Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS), the writers exercised their professional judgement and consulted with a wide range of practitioners in a context of peer review. In addition to track documentation, LTS has documented the process for developing the health and wellbeing part of the curriculum framework together with those who input to the review.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

Education

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive who authorised the removal of the active travel overarching statement "I know and can demonstrate how to travel safely whether on foot, on a bicycle, in a motor vehicle or on public transport" and the outcome "I am encouraged and supported to travel actively and safely to and from my place of learning", which were in the draft but not in the final published version of the Curriculum for Excellence, and when this decision was made.

Michael Russell: Safe and active travel has not been removed from the new curriculum framework. The draft outcome and overarching statement were simplified to broaden the basis for interpretation and delivery and to allow active travel to permeate health and wellbeing. The Learning and Teaching Scotland led development team reviewed and redrafted the health and wellbeing experiences and outcomes in collaboration with a wide range of practitioners.

  The final experiences and outcomes for health and wellbeing and accompanying principles and practice were approved by the Curriculum Governing Group on 11 March 2009 and by the Curriculum for Excellence Management Board on 25 March 2009.

Education

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many twinning arrangements were in place between denominational and non-denominational schools at the start of the 2009-10 school year, broken down by local authority.

Keith Brown: This is a matter for local authorities. The information requested is not held centrally.

Education

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-29268 by Michael Russell on 7 December 2009, whether it will list each organisation represented on the new review group that will work with Learning and Teaching Scotland to establish a delivery plan for financial education.

Michael Russell: Membership of the Financial Education Strategy Review Group comprises:

  The Chartered Institute of Bankers in Scotland

  Scottish League of Credit Unions

  Scottish Financial Enterprise

  Association of British Insurers

  West Dunbartonshire Council

  Renfrewshire Council

  Fairview School, Perth

  Prestwick High School

  Williamwood High School, East Renfrewshire

  St David’s High School, Dalkeith

  Gylemuir Primary School, Edinburgh

  Learning Connections, Scottish Government

  Scottish Qualifications Authority

  Learning and Teaching Scotland

  Association of British Credit Unions Limited

  HN Inspectorate of Education

  Glasgow University Faculty of Education

  Determined to Succeed

  Early Years Centre, Easterhouse.

Education

Bob Doris (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the Framework for Assessment for Curriculum for Excellence.

Michael Russell: I am pleased to announce today, the publication of Building the Curriculum 5 A Framework for Assessment together with an associated paper on quality assurance and moderation.

  The framework provides guidance to teaching staff on how the new assessment system will raise standards and expectations, promote depth of understanding and improve skills. A copy of the Framework and the associated papers have been placed in Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. numbers 50048, 50049, 50050). The documents are also available on the Curriculum for Excellence website at: www.curriculumforexcellencescotland.gov.uk.

  The Framework will be accompanied by a strong package of support to help teaching staff implement the new system:

  Learning and Teaching Scotland will be organising events over January and February to promote greater understanding of the framework.

  In the summer term assessment exemplars will be made available through the Curriculum for Excellence website. They will show pupils’ work assessed by practitioners against standards and expectations in the priority areas of literacy and numeracy across all curriculum areas and health and wellbeing.

  Teaching staff will have access to a new online National Assessment Resource in the autumn.

  In recognition of the additional activity associated with introducing and operating a moderation scheme, as well as meeting the costs of national work, I will transfer resources to local government to help pay for additional local work.

  In addition to the three in-service days which have already been provided to support staff in moving towards full adoption of Curriculum for Excellence in August 2010, I am also providing a further in-service day to support implementation including professional development for the new assessment system.

  The framework takes full account of professional advice from the Curriculum for Excellence Management Board and I will continue to work positively with the management board, local authorities and the education community to deliver improvements in teaching and learning through Curriculum for Excellence.

Electricity

Lewis Macdonald (Aberdeen Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the ministerial statement by the Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism on 6 January 2010 (Official Report c. 22407), what additional delays to the Beauly to Denny power line upgrade it expects as a result of conditions to the consent.

Jim Mather: I do not anticipate any additional delays as a result of the conditions of consent, although the exact timing will depend on what is proposed by the developers.

Enterprise

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had discussions with Scottish Development International regarding the planned trade mission to Israel and, if so, on what date.

Jim Mather: Scottish Development International (SDI) is a joint venture between the Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise. It arranged the trade mission to Israel, in partnership with UK Trade and Investment, as part of its regular yearly programme of overseas trade missions.

  As there are no restrictions in place as regards trading with Israel, there was no requirement for SDI to seek dispensation from Scottish Government colleagues prior to arranging this trade mission.

Enterprise

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what changes it has made to Scottish Enterprise’s Proof of Concept programme.

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications Scottish Enterprise has received to its Proof of Concept programme in each year since its creation.

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many research projects have received funding through Scottish Enterprise’s Proof of Concept programme in each year since its creation.

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many research projects have had their funding through Scottish Enterprise’s Proof of Concept programme withdrawn or restructured in each year since its creation, broken down by reason for withdrawal or restructuring.

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether restrictions are placed on universities as to the individuals or organisations that they may (a) work with while or (b) license to after receiving support from Scottish Enterprise’s Proof of Concept programme.

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scottish Enterprise takes a significant stake directly or indirectly in businesses created through the Proof of Concept programme.

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many advisors the Proof of Concept programme has employed in each of the last five years and will employ in 2010-11.

Jim Mather: This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. I will ask its Chief Executive to write to you in this regard.

Enterprise

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what feedback it has had from universities regarding contract changes requested of them through Scottish Enterprise’s Proof of Concept programme.

Jim Mather: The government has received no feedback on this issue.

Enterprise

Lewis Macdonald (Aberdeen Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which of its agencies have been involved in the City Square Project in Aberdeen.

Alex Neil: Scottish Enterprise’s involvement is detailed in responses provided to S3W-30629, S3W-30630 and S3W-30631 on 20 January 2010. And I am aware that Historic Scotland held pre-application discussions with Aberdeen City Council in May last year, when various options were under initial consideration.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

Enterprise

Lewis Macdonald (Aberdeen Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much Scottish Enterprise has spent on the City Square Project in Aberdeen.

Jim Mather: This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. I will ask its Chief Executive to write to you in this regard.

Enterprise

Lewis Macdonald (Aberdeen Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scottish Enterprise staff are employed (a) full-time and (b) part-time on the City Square Project in Aberdeen.

Jim Mather: This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. I will ask its Chief Executive to write to you in this regard.

Enterprise

Lewis Macdonald (Aberdeen Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scottish Enterprise (a) full-time and (b) part-time staff are seconded to the City Square Project in Aberdeen.

Jim Mather: This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. I will ask its Chief Executive to write to you in this regard.

Enterprise

Lewis Macdonald (Aberdeen Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what Scottish Enterprise’s 2009-10 budget is for the City Square Project in Aberdeen.

Jim Mather: This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. I will ask its Chief Executive to write to you in this regard.

Finance

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when and by whom the decision was made not to apply to the Joint European Resources for Micro to medium Enterprises (JEREMIE) scheme for funding for the Scottish Investment Bank.

Jim Mather: Following careful analysis the Scottish Enterprise board recommended at its 4 December 2009 meeting against proceeding with a loan application to the European Investment Bank under the JEREMIE initiative. Their analysis was significantly influenced by the cost and complexity of the arrangements that would have been required to avoid such borrowing counting against the Scottish Government’s Departmental Expenditure Limit under the budgeting rules applied by the UK Government.

  This advice was conveyed to the Scottish Government in a letter from the Scottish Enterprise Chairman on 15 December 2009. The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth wrote to the Chief Secretary to the UK Treasury on 16 December 2009 to express his concern about the significant impact that these budgeting rules have had on our consideration of the JEREMIE model as a mechanism to improve access to finance for Scottish SMEs. No reply to that letter has yet been received.

Finance

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the decision not to apply to the Joint European Resources for Micro to medium Enterprises (JEREMIE) scheme for funding, whether it remains committed to setting up a Scottish Investment Bank.

Jim Mather: The Scottish Investment Bank Ltd has already been established as a subsidiary of Scottish Enterprise and the Scottish Government remains fully committed to taking this initiative forward. We continue to explore what other types of private and public finance can be marshalled to support our commitment to assisting Scottish businesses. However, our efforts have not been aided by the lack of flexibility shown to date by the UK Treasury in respect of potential borrowing from the European Investment Bank under the JEREMIE initiative.

Finance

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is intended that the Scottish Investment Bank will have further resources beyond those of the Scottish Co-investment Fund, the Scottish Venture Fund and the Scottish Seed Fund.

Jim Mather: Yes, it has always been the intention to pursue additional resources beyond these existing funds.

Finance

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the aims and objectives of the Scottish Investment Bank have changed following the decision not to apply to the Joint European Resources for Micro to medium Enterprises (JEREMIE) scheme for funding.

Jim Mather: There has been no resultant change in our aims and objectives for the Scottish Investment Bank, following Scottish Enterprise’s recommendation not to pursue a JEREMIE model in light of the lack of flexibility shown by the UK Treasury in application of its budgeting rules.

Finance

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3M-25877 by Jim Mather on 4 August 2009, whether the work to identify what further resources may be available to the Scottish Investment Bank is complete or remains ongoing.

Jim Mather: Work remains ongoing in identifying means of augmenting the circa £150 million starting resource of the Scottish Investment Bank.

Finance

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3M-25877 by Jim Mather on 4 August 2009, what funding sources are being examined through the work to identify further resources that may be available to the Scottish Investment Bank.

Jim Mather: With Scottish Enterprise, we will be looking at potential for European funding and for the wider private sector banking and investment community to participate in the further development of the Scottish Investment Bank.

Finance

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3M-25877 by Jim Mather on 4 August 2009, whether it is now in a position to identify what proportion of funding available to the Scottish Investment Bank will not come from the Scottish Co-investment Fund, the Scottish Venture Fund or the Scottish Seed Fund.

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the Scottish Investment Bank will have external sources of funding and, if so, from where this funding might come.

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of funding it wishes to be available to the Scottish Investment Bank beyond that from the Scottish Co-investment Fund, the Scottish Venture Fund and the Scottish Seed Fund.

Jim Mather: Opportunities for additional funding are being explored at this time. The government will in due course share further details with the Scottish Parliament.

Finance

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will continue to call the Scottish Investment Bank a bank if it is unable to secure external sources of funding.

Jim Mather: Yes. The Scottish Investment Bank Ltd has already been formally established as a subsidiary of Scottish Enterprise.

Finance

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what role the Scottish Investment Bank performs in administering funding from the Scottish Co-investment Fund, the Scottish Venture Fund or the Scottish Seed Fund that Scottish Enterprise was unable to perform.

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how the Scottish Investment Bank’s administration of funding from the Scottish Co-investment Fund, the Scottish Venture Fund or the Scottish Seed Fund differs from the previous administration of these schemes by Scottish Enterprise.

Jim Mather: The Scottish Investment Bank Ltd has now been established as a subsidiary of Scottish Enterprise. It is envisaged that this new subsidiary will undertake functions in relation to these three funds comparable to those currently undertaken by Scottish Enterprise.

Further Education

Hugh O'Donnell (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the funding allocation distributed by the Scottish Funding Council in the (a) 2007-08 and (b) 2008-09 funding rounds was awarded to the New Horizons Fund for skills development work.

Michael Russell: The Scottish Funding Council introduced its new approach to funding through the General Fund and the Horizon Fund for the first time in 2009-10.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether every NHS board has plans in place to introduce a comprehensive programme of thrombolytic therapy as part of its specialist stroke care provision.

Nicola Sturgeon: NHS boards are expected to put such plans in place, in the light of the guidance in the Better Heart Disease and Stroke Care Action Plan on developing models to support the delivery of stroke thrombolysis. In particular, the action plan asks NHS boards, through their stroke MCNs, to consider appropriate models to facilitate access to thrombolysis for stroke patients, especially in areas with limited medical cover.

  Representatives of the Stroke Managed Clinical Network from each NHS board and the Regional Planning Groups met in October 2009 to discuss the action in the Plan for them, in conjunction with the Scottish Ambulance Service and the Scottish Centre for Telehealth (now part of NHS24), to consider how to deliver optimal care in the hyper-acute phase of stroke, including thrombolysis.

  The NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (NHS QIS) stroke standards stipulate that thrombolysis services should aim to treat more than five stroke patients per 100,000 population and to ensure that the door to needle time is less than one hour in at least 80% of patients treated. The Scottish Stroke Care Audit is now collecting data which will allow for monitoring of performance against this standard.

Health

Ross Finnie (West of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients have undergone operations to treat a fracture in each month of the last year, broken down by NHS board.

Nicola Sturgeon: There is no definitive list of operations which relate to the specific treatment of fractures. The range of procedures which may be performed to treat fractures may also be performed for other clinical reasons. Thus, the precise number patients who undergo an operation to treat a fracture is not available from central records.

  The numbers of hospital stays at which a fracture diagnosis and an operation which may be related to the fracture are recorded is shown in the table below. These data are broken down by NHS board of treatment and calendar month, for the latest available 12 month period.

  Number of NHSScotland hospital stays where a fracture diagnosis and an operation which may be related to the fracture are recorded1,2, by NHS board of treatment and month of discharge:

  

NHS Board of Treatment
Month of Discharge


July 2008
August 2008
September 2008
October 2008
November 2008
December 2008


Ayrshire and Arran
161
137
115
122
122
184


Borders
36
29
31
33
17
33


Dumfries and Galloway
66
50
54
55
44
59


Fife
108
110
104
100
89
121


Forth Valley
98
87
95
80
73
77


Grampian
190
187
209
164
172
211


Greater Glasgow and Clyde
479
484
425
487
402
532


Highland
116
119
94
74
79
108


Lanarkshire
193
182
155
156
149
212


Lothian
361
290
301
263
279
339


Orkney
7
5
12
9
3
7


Shetland
5
8
7
9
7
13


Tayside
190
164
177
135
145
201


Western Isles
10
11
6
8
8
9


Scotland
2,020
1,863
1,785
1,695
1,589
2,106



  

NHS Board of Treatment
Month of Discharge


January 2009
February 2009
March 2009
April 2009
May 2009
June 2009


Ayrshire and Arran
135
126
140
140
149
171


Borders
30
34
40
39
27
31


Dumfries and Galloway
43
43
41
59
56
56


Fife
83
96
125
92
95
119


Forth Valley
91
73
90
94
81
77


Grampian
207
183
176
185
200
179


Greater Glasgow and Clyde
414
431
463
472
456
539


Highland
80
88
94
105
122
115


Lanarkshire
172
166
165
188
187
182


Lothian
295
294
261
347
315
329


Orkney
6
4
5
9
7
10


Shetland
3
8
3
8
5
7


Tayside
139
133
166
175
143
171


Western Isles
7
9
11
6
8
6


Scotland
1,705
1,688
1,780
1,919
1,851
1,992



  Source: ISD SMR01 linked catalogue.

  Notes:

  1. The following International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th Revision (ICD-10) codes have been used to identify fracture diagnoses: S02, S12, S22, S32, S42, S52, S62, S72, S82, S92, T02, T08, T10, T12, T14.2 

  Further details on ICD10 codes can be found at:

  http://apps.who.int/classifications/apps/icd/icd10online/

  2. The following Office of Population, Censuses and Surveys Classification of Surgical Operations and Procedures 4th revision (OPCS4) codes have been used to identify fracture-related operations: V01 – V21, V22 – V68 (excluding V26, V31, V33, V35, V47, V52 and V55), W01 – W04, W05 – W36 (excluding W09, W34 and W36), W37 – W99 (excluding W72, W73, W74, W75, W76, W78, W79, W87, W88, W90 and W91), O06 – O08, O10, O17 - O19, O21 - O27, O29, X48, X49.

  Further details on OPCS4 codes can be found at:

  http://www.connectingforhealth.nhs.uk/systemsandservices/data/clinicalcoding/codingstandards/opcs4/index.html.

  The data shown in the table above relates to patients who are admitted to hospital. Patients who are treated in accident and emergency departments or fracture clinics are not included.

Healthcare Associated Infection

Gil Paterson (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to extend the duration of the public inquiry into the Clostridium difficile outbreak at the Vale of Leven hospital.

Nicola Sturgeon: On 10 December 2009, the Chairman of the Vale of Leven Hospital Inquiry wrote to me seeking an extension to the duration of the Inquiry which was originally due to report by 1 October 2010.

  Lord MacLean has indicated that, in order to investigate thoroughly and properly all the evidence and, most importantly, the lessons to be learnt from the Vale of Leven Hospital and experience elsewhere, he would propose submitting a report in May 2011.

  Having carefully considered Lord MacLean’s request, I have agreed to an extension. The Inquiry will therefore report by 31 May 2011.

Higher Education

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many students on degree courses in planning are due to graduate in each of the next three years.

Michael Russell: Students enrolled in first degree level courses at Scottish institutions and studying planning as their main course typically study for four years (though a number may study for only three years). Planning includes; urban and rural planning, regional planning, transport planning and planning (undefined).

  In academic year 2005-06 there were 115 entrants to planning courses studying at degree level at Scottish institutions. In 2006-07 there were 100 and in 2007-08 there were 125. Assuming each student studies continuously for four years and successfully completes their qualification, we would estimate that in 2009-10 there will be in the region of 115 graduates, 100 in 2010-11 and 125 in 2011-12. These figures do not include students enrolled on courses where planning is a minor component of their overall qualification.

Higher Education

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is playing a part in the review of funding from the Higher Education Funding Council for England for university museums and galleries being led by Sir Muir Russell.

Michael Russell: The review to which the question refers is being undertaken by the Higher Education Funding Council for England and concerns it’s funding for university museums and galleries in England. The Scottish Government is therefore not involved.

Higher Education

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it has in place to financially support undergraduates from low-income families who take up internships.

Michael Russell: The measures which the Scottish Government has put in place to financially support all undergraduates from low-income families, including those who take up internships is publicly available at the following websites:

  The Student Awards Agency for Scotland website and the Scottish Government website:

  http://www.saas.gov.uk/student_support/scottish_inside/2001_or_later/financial_support.htm.

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Education/Funding-Support-Grants/FFL/yourguidetofunding0910.

Justice

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many direct measures were issued for (a) assault and (b) assault to injury in November 2009, broken down by sheriff court.

Frank Mulholland: The following table shows the number of charges of (a) assault and (b) assault to injury where the initial decision taken by the Procurator Fiscal was to deal with the offending behaviour by means of a direct measure.

  The 239 charges relate to a total of 218 persons issued with an offer of a direct measure, out of a total of 3,411 persons offered a direct measure during the same period.

  The figures include only those direct measures that were affected by the provisions in the Criminal Proceedings etc (Reform) (Scotland) Act 2007.

  

Office
Direct Measure Issued
Charges Reported


Assault
Assault to Injury
Assault
Assault to Injury


Aberdeen
13
1
170
65


Airdrie
9
2
117
6


Alloa
1
-
17
4


Arbroath
-
-
17
25


Ayr
-
2
70
52


Banff
-
-
9
12


Campbeltown
-
-
5
3


Cupar
-
-
22
18


Dingwall
9
-
18
2


Dornoch
-
-
2
-


Dumbarton
-
-
49
29


Dumfries
2
3
18
15


Dundee
6
7
67
32


Dunfermline
8
1
45
33


Dunoon
2
-
9
1


Duns
-
-
-
2


Edinburgh
12
2
157
114


Elgin
1
3
44
16


Falkirk
11
2
107
18


Forfar
-
-
10
4


Fort William
2
-
8
2


Glasgow
23
7
562
105


Greenock
3
2
21
16


Haddington
1
1
21
16


Hamilton
17
2
169
22


Inverness
10
-
104
2


Jedburgh
-
-
7
8


Kilmarnock
7
2
76
56


Kirkcaldy
1
3
70
60


Kirkcudbright
1
-
3
4


Kirkwall
2
-
3
-


Lanark
-
-
16
2


Lerwick
1
-
3
-


Livingston
3
2
59
47


Lochmaddy
-
-
2
-


Oban
1
-
12
3


Paisley
15
5
76
53


Peebles
3
-
4
4


Perth
3
-
40
17


Peterhead
1
1
40
10


Rothesay
-
-
2
2


Selkirk
-
4
6
7


Stirling
6
-
55
10


Stonehaven
3
-
7
2


Stornoway
6
-
15
-


Stranraer
1
-
7
14


Tain
-
-
15
-


Wick
3
-
16
6


Grand Total
187
52
2,372
919



  Notes:

  1. The information in this table has been extracted from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service’s case management database. The database is a live, operational database used to manage the processing of reports submitted to procurators fiscal by the police and other reporting agencies. If a Procurator Fiscal amends a charge submitted by a reporting agency, the database will record details only of the amended charge.

  2. The database is charge-based. The figures quoted therefore relate to the number of charges rather than the number of individuals charged or the number of incidents that gave rise to such charges.

  3. Procurator Fiscal jurisdictions match sheriff court jurisdictions.

Justice

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many direct measures were issued for (a) assault and (b) assault to injury in December 2009, broken down by sheriff court.

Frank Mulholland: The following table shows the number of charges of (a) assault and (b) assault to injury where the initial decision taken by the Procurator Fiscal was to deal with the offending behaviour by means of a direct measure.

  The 222 charges relate to a total of 211 persons issued with an offer of a direct measure, out of a total of 3,330 persons offered a direct measure during the same period.

  The figures include only those direct measures that were affected by the provisions in the Criminal Proceedings etc (Reform) (Scotland) Act 2007.

  

Office
Direct Measure Issued
Charges Reported


Assault
Assault to Injury
Assault
Assault to Injury


Aberdeen
5
2
215
58


Airdrie
6
-
128
15


Alloa
-
1
26
21


Arbroath
2
1
18
8


Ayr
4
1
63
53


Banff
2
1
5
12


Campbeltown
2
-
4
1


Cupar
-
1
21
1


Dingwall
-
-
14
1


Dornoch
-
-
8
-


Dumbarton
3
1
55
33


Dumfries
2
3
18
15


Dundee
5
3
54
30


Dunfermline
2
-
73
32


Dunoon
1
2
9
5


Duns
-
-
1
4


Edinburgh
11
5
203
135


Elgin
2
2
44
30


Falkirk
13
2
99
30


Forfar
-
-
25
7


Fort William
2
-
6
2


Glasgow
32
3
463
126


Greenock
1
1
12
20


Haddington
3
5
27
13


Hamilton
6
2
164
28


Inverness
35
1
77
-


Jedburgh
-
-
9
3


Kilmarnock
1
1
108
47


Kirkcaldy
3
-
105
37


Kirkcudbright
-
2
2
3


Kirkwall
-
-
15
-


Lanark
-
-
15
2


Lerwick
5
-
16
-


Livingston
6
6
66
43


Lochmaddy
-
-
3
-


Oban
-
-
10
8


Paisley
3
2
88
31


Peebles
1
-
-
6


Perth
1
-
53
18


Peterhead
2
-
26
14


Rothesay
-
-
-
2


Selkirk
1
1
8
16


Stirling
4
-
46
7


Stonehaven
-
-
11
4


Stornoway
1
-
12
-


Stranraer
1
-
11
9


Tain
3
-
20
-


Wick
2
-
14
3


Grand Total
173
49
2,470
933



  Notes:

  1. The information in this table has been extracted from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service’s case management database. The database is a live, operational database used to manage the processing of reports submitted to procurators fiscal by the police and other reporting agencies. If a Procurator Fiscal amends a charge submitted by a reporting agency, the database will record details only of the amended charge.

  2. The database is charge-based. The figures quoted therefore relate to the number of charges rather than the number of individuals charged or the number of incidents that gave rise to such charges.

  3. Procurator Fiscal jurisdictions match sheriff court jurisdictions.

Justice

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to increase opportunities for restorative justice across Scotland.

Kenny MacAskill: The use of restorative practices with youth offenders is already well established. To ensure best practice and to increase the opportunities for the further use of restorative practices for young offenders, Preventing Offending by Young People – a Framework for Action includes a commitment to continue to work to demonstrate the potential benefits that can be achieved by adopting restorative approaches where appropriate. Consequently, the National Development (Champion) Group for Youth Restorative Justice has been set up by the Scottish Government and the Criminal Justice Social Work Development Centre for Scotland to identify potential areas for development and to share areas of best practice with practitioners across Scotland.

  Restorative practice measures are also used by five local authority areas as part of their Diversion from Prosecution Services for adult offenders. These services are used to resolve less serious offences that procurators fiscal have diverted from formal court proceedings.

  Ministers are currently considering the conclusion of a joint research project by Victim Support Scotland and Sacro, which includes a proposal to pilot a new method of providing restorative practices for adults within the criminal justice system.

Justice

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to Table 10 of the Criminal Proceedings in Scottish Courts, 2007/08, what assessment it has made of the finding that 96% of people jailed for shoplifting received custodial sentences of six months or less.

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to Table 10 of the Criminal Proceedings in Scottish Courts, 2007/08 showing that 96% of people jailed for shoplifting received custodial sentences of six months or less, what impact creating a legal presumption against custodial sentences of six months or less will have.

Kenny MacAskill: The impact of creating a presumption against custodial sentences of six months or less will be that courts should not impose such sentences unless the particular circumstances of the case lead them to believe that no other option would be appropriate. Judicial discretion to sentence shoplifters to jail will remain.

  Of those convicted of shoplifting in 2007-08, 26% received a custodial sentence (Criminal Proceedings in Scottish Courts, 2007-08). The remaining 74% received community sentences, monetary penalties or other disposals.

Local Government

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been collected in the Lothians region in fiscal fines imposed since December 2008 and in how many cases (a) no payment has been made and (b) payments are overdue.

Kenny MacAskill: Information relating to the recovery and enforcement of financial penalties, including fiscal fines, is now published in reports on the Scottish Court Service website.

  This can be accessed at www.scotcourts.gov.uk/payyourfine.

  The next quarterly report is due for publication in February 2010.

Medication

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment the Scottish Government Health Directorate’s Chemotherapy Advisory Group has made of geographical variations in the use of Scottish Medicines Consortium-approved drugs and what steps it is taking to address this issue.

Nicola Sturgeon: It is not within the remit of the Scottish Chemotherapy Advisory Group to assess geographical variations in the use of Scottish Medicines Consortium approved drugs. The remit of the group is to ensure that cancer medicines are delivered within a safe and quality assured framework.

  A chief executive letter is currently being drafted which outlines how NHS boards should approach the introduction of newly licensed medicines into NHS Scotland and it will be the responsibility of boards to ensure this new guidance is implemented.

Post Office

Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is using its powers under section C11 in Part II of Schedule 5 to the Scotland Act 1998 to provide financial assistance to support the provision of other services in post offices.

Jim Mather: Section C11 in Part II of Schedule 5 to the Scotland Act does not confer any powers to provide financial assistance to support the provision of other services in post offices. However, the Scottish Government does have powers to support the provision of non-post office activities from post offices.

Prison Service

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to increase opportunities for prisoners to access work-based training programmes in prisons.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Willie Pretswell, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

  The Scottish Prison Service is currently undertaking a comprehensive review of all the purposeful activities undertaken by prisoners in each of the public sector prisons. The review will identify the capacity to enhance the opportunities available to prisoners including access to work based training.

Roads

Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities have received supplies of extra salt and grit following contact with the Scottish Government Resilience Room since 22 December 2009 and what the (a) source of the materials supplied, (b) date of delivery and (c) tonnage supplied was, broken down by local authority.

Kenny MacAskill: The detail requested concerns a series of individual transactions between local authorities, operators and suppliers and is therefore treated as commercial information. In the period to 18 January 2010 we can however confirm that with the support of the Scottish Salt Group, which was established by Scottish Government, 59 instances of mutual aid have taken place across Scotland resulting in the movement of over 11,000 tonnes of salt. Thus far, the Scottish Salt Group has also identified and allocated additional salt supplies to Scottish local authorities in excess of 2,800 tonnes. This process continues.

Rural Development

Liam McArthur (Orkney) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with European Commission officials regarding the single farm payment penalty system since May 2007.

Richard Lochhead: Officials from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland met with Commission officials in February 2009 to discuss proposals to revise the Cross Compliance payment reduction systems as a result of the 2008 audits in England and Wales.

  The Commission made it clear at this meeting that they expected the majority of Cross Compliance breaches to result in a 3% payment reduction otherwise significant disallowance (EC fines) would apply. This approach was further confirmed and clarified in the Commission audit letters to Wales and later to Northern Ireland following their audit in spring 2009.

  At our request the UK raised the issue of Cross Compliance penalties at the Council of Ministers on 16 December 2009 and we will press for meetings to be held with the new Commission to keep our concerns on the agenda.

Rural Development

Liam McArthur (Orkney) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it next expects to meet European Commission officials to discuss the single farm payment penalty system.

Richard Lochhead: No meetings are scheduled at present as the new commission has yet to be agreed and finalised by the European Parliament.

Rural Development

Jim Hume (South of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) national and (b) European spend was on the Scotland Rural Development Programme 2007-13 in 2009, broken down by programme components.

Richard Lochhead: Scottish Government outturn for financial year 2009-10 will be published in the Consolidated Accounts later in 2010 following the end of the current financial year.

Schools

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how the schools designed and built under the governance of the Scottish Futures Trust will differ from those designed and built under PPP/PFI.

Keith Brown: The schools being delivered by the SFT offer better value for money than those designed and built under PFI. Through collaboration and aggregation of the schools programme SFT will help deliver value for money from the £1.25 billion of public investment.

  The Scottish Futures Trust is working with local authorities and relevant organisations such as Architecture and Design Scotland and the Carbon Trust to ensure the new schools being built as part of the new £1.25 billion school building programme embody the principles and objectives of the new school estate strategy, Building Better Schools: Investing in Scotland’s Future, which was published on 28 September 2009.

Schools

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that PPP/PFI schools were designed and built to an acceptable standard.

Keith Brown: The Audit Scotland report, Improving the school estate , published in March 2008, noted that the new-build schools they assessed, which including some procured through PPP, fell short of in some aspects of good practice in school design. The report made a number of recommendations which the Scottish Government and COSLA accepted in full and which have been incorporated into the new school estate strategy, Building Better Schools: Investing in Scotland’s Future.

Sectarianism

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-29198 by Fergus Ewing on 3 December 2009, when it expects to reach a decision on whether to fund the Iona Community to deliver anti-sectarianism workshops in adult prisons.

Fergus Ewing: As I announced on 17 January 2010, we are providing £20,000 to the Iona Community to allow them to run a pilot scheme to develop and deliver anti-sectarianism workshops to adult prisoners in HMP Addiewell.

Sport

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether ministers will look into the decision to cancel this year’s proposed bonspiel on the Lake of Menteith to see if the public interest was well served.

Jim Mather: The Grand Matches are arranged by the Royal Caledonian Curling Club. As the event organiser, it is for the Club to make decisions about holding the event following discussion with the relevant Police and emergency services. These discussions will include measures to ensure the safety of participants and spectators. In this way the public interest has to be taken into account by the event-organisers. Most event-organisers will also seek to arrange third party liability insurance to protect themselves in the event of action from third parties.

  Ministers have been fully briefed on the circumstances surrounding the Royal Caledonian Curling Club’s decision not to go ahead with an event at the Lake of Menteith on 9 and 10 January 2010. The Club is now updating its plans for all three sites with a view to being ready should suitable weather conditions return. EventScotland officials are in contact with the Royal Caledonian Curling Club and are able to provide advice if necessary.

Teachers

Hugh O'Donnell (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-29346 by Keith Brown on 9 December 2009, what measures it has put in place to limit or restrict local authorities from re-employing those who retire under the scheme.

Michael Russell: Local authorities have been asked to adhere to the recommendation 4 of the Teacher Employment Working Group, published in October 2008, to help develop more opportunities for newly qualified teachers by reducing the use of retired teachers in supply work. The recommendations on supply are for local authorities as employers of teachers to take forward whilst bearing in mind both employment and age legislation.

Tourism

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the impact on tourism of HM Revenue and Customs’ changes to tax relief on furnished holiday letting properties has been considered.

Jim Mather: HM Revenue and Customs have published a draft Regulatory Impact Assessment on the proposed tax relief changes for furnished holiday lettings. This, and draft Regulations, is available for consultation until 26 February 2010. The Scottish Government has been liaising with industry representative bodies in Scotland which have prepared information about the potential impact on tourism businesses in Scotland of the proposed changes and I have written to the UK Government expressing concerns about these impacts.

Weather

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive on what dates between 1 December 2009 and 8 January 2010 meetings took place in the Scottish Government Resilience Room.

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive on what dates between 1 December 2009 and 8 January 2010 the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing attended meetings in the Scottish Government Resilience Room.

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive on what dates between 1 December 2009 and 8 January 2010 the impact of the cold weather on older people was discussed at meetings in the Scottish Government Resilience Room.

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive on what dates between 1 December 2009 and 8 January 2010 the impact of the cold weather on disabled people was discussed at meetings in the Scottish Government Resilience Room.

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive on what dates between 1 December 2009 and 8 January 2010 the impact of the cold weather on the NHS was discussed at meetings in the Scottish Government Resilience Room.

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which ministers attended meetings in the Scottish Government Resilience Room between 1 December 2009 and 8 January 2010.

Kenny MacAskill: A range of meetings involving Scottish ministers, officials and stakeholders have taken place in the Scottish Government Resilience Room (SGoRR) since 1 December 2009. In the period requested, meetings of the various SGoRR committees or groups took place on the following dates:

  

Week Commencing
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday


30 November 2009
 
 
 
√ 
 
 
 


7 December 2009
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


14 December 2009
 
 
 
√ 
 
 
 


21 December 2009
 
 
√ 
 
 
 
 


28 December 2009
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


4 January 2010
√ 
√ 
√ 
√ 
√ 
√ 
√ 



  The remit of SGoRR when activated is to monitor on behalf of Scottish ministers potential or ongoing incidents at a Scotland-wide level, in order to set the Scottish Government’s strategic response priorities and ensure that the activity of government is best focussed to support responders and others in dealing with the event. Consideration of the consequences of any such major event, including for individual sectors and groups, is therefore a standing item for meetings and activity in SGoRR. This includes being a standing agenda item for meetings of the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Scottish Government Resilience (CSC SGoR).

  With regard to ministerial attendance at SGoRR, rarely is a Cabinet Secretary unable to attend meetings of CSC SGoR; where they are unable to attend they would normally send a substitute. Information on CSC SGoR membership and meetings can be found at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/About/14944/CabSubCommonCC.

  In addition to formal meetings, Scottish ministers have been briefed on the severe weather and its consequences every day from 22 December 2009 to 18 January 2010, including across the Christmas the New Year period.

Weather

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive on what date its Weather Wise website was launched.

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have used its Weather Wise website to access support and advice.

Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government launched the Weather Wise website on 6 January 2010. In the period 6 to 15 January, the site received 9,182 visits from 8,438 unique visitors, with 13,976 page views.

  Weather Wise can be found at www.scotland.gov.uk/weatherwise.

Weather

Marilyn Livingstone (Kirkcaldy) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many phone calls the Scottish Government Resilience Room received from Fife Council between 17 December 2009 and 5 January 2010 inclusive.

Marilyn Livingstone (Kirkcaldy) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many phone calls were made from the Scottish Government Resilience Room to Fife Council between 17 December 2009 and 5 January 2010 inclusive.

Kenny MacAskill: Since December 2009, the Scottish Government has been in regular contact with all of Scotland’s 32 local authorities concerning severe weather planning. We do not record the number of calls made to or from the Scottish Government Resilience Room.

  I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-30499 on 18 January 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

Weather

Marilyn Livingstone (Kirkcaldy) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much salt was provided to Fife Council via the Scottish Government Resilience Room between 17 December 2009 and 5 January 2010 inclusive and when any such deliveries were made.

Kenny MacAskill: The data requested is commercial information. With the support of the Scottish Government Resilience Room, neighbouring local authorities and trunk road operators provided mutual aid to re-distribute available salt to Fife Council during the period in question. More recently, the Scottish Salt Cell, which was established by Scottish Government to support our councils and trunk road operating companies in managing salt stocks during the prolonged winter weather, has also secured significant new salt supplies for Fife Council.

Weather

Marilyn Livingstone (Kirkcaldy) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what daily information was held on salt stocks (a) in each local authority area and (b) by it between 17 December 2009 and 5 January 2010 inclusive.

Kenny MacAskill: The data requested is commercial information.